NUCIFRAGA. 41 



27. Nucifraga hemispila. The Himalayan Nutcracker. 



Nucifraga hemispila, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830, p. 8; Gould, Cent. pi. 36; 

 lyth t Cat. p. 90 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 563 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 304 ; 

 Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. ii, p. 54 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xli, 

 pt. ii, p. 69 j Hume, N. 8f E. p. 415 ; id. Cat. no. 666 ; Brooks, 

 8. F. iii, p. 253 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 54 ; Oates in Humes 



N. $E. Snded. i, p. 30. 



Nucifraga immaculate, Blijth, Ibis, 1867, p. 36. 

 Lho-Kariyo-pho, Lepch. 



Coloration. Naral bristles, forehead, crown, nape, hind neck, and 

 upper tail-coverts chocolate-brown; with these exceptions the 

 whole of the plumage is umber-brown, the sides of the head and 

 neck streaked with white ; chin and throat with a few small white 

 shaft-streaks ; the back, breast, and upper abdomen with oval 

 white drops; under tail- coverts pure white; wings glossy black, 

 the lesser and median coverts with triangular white tips ; central 

 tail-feathers black, the others very broadly tipped white, the 

 amount of white decreasing inwardly ; a few of the inner primaries 

 with a large oval white mark on the inner web, probably dis- 

 appearing with age, as it is absent in some birds. 



Some birds have the spots on the breast rufous ; this may be 

 accidental and due to staining ; it is not the plumage of the young, 

 in which the rufous is of a different character. 



The young are pale brown with rufescent drops which speedily 

 turn white ; the head soon turns to the adult colour. 



Legs and feet black; iris reddish to deep brown (Hume). 



Length about 15 ; tail 6 ; wing 8*5 ; tarsus 1*6 ; bill from 

 gape 1-9. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from the Sutlej valley to Bhutan. 

 Stoliczka states that this bird is common in the N.W. Himalayas 

 from low elevations to the limit of trees. Blanford found it rare 

 on the outer ranges of Sikhim, but common in the pine-forests of 

 the interior, and Hume remarks that it is very common in the hills 

 north of Simla. 



Habits, fyc. A nest described by Hume was situated on a tree near 

 the trunk and about 50 feet from the ground. The nest was like 

 a Crow's, a platform of sticks mixed up with twigs and moss, and 

 lined with grass and fir-needles. On the llth May this nest 

 contained four young birds. 



28. Nucifraga multipunctata. The Larger Spotted Nutcracker. 



Nucifraga multipunctata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1849, p. 23 ; Hume $ 



Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 239 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 55 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 667; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 78; Scully, Ibis, 



1881, p. 572. 

 Nucifraga multimaculata, Gould, laps, cal., Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 304 ; 



Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. ii, p. 54. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, nape, and hind neck dark chocolate- 

 brown ; naral bristles mottled black and white ; with these excep- 

 tions the whole plumage of the head and body is dark chocolate- 



